Photographic-film developing and drying device.



G. H. KNOBLAUUH.

PHOTOGRAPHIG FILM DEVELOPING AND DRYING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1913.

1,088,906, Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

\ P j jfi ,4 TTOR/VE Y UNITED STATES PQTENT OFFICE.

CONRAD H. KNOBLAUCH, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

PHOTOGRAPHIC-FILM DEVELOPING AND DRYING DEVICE.

TO (M whom it may concern Be it known that I, CONRAD I-I. KNoB- LAUGH, asubject of the Emperor of Germany, residing in the city of Newark, inthe county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Photographic-Film Developing and DryingDevices, of which the fol lowing is a full, clear, and exactdescription, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make, construct, and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to letters of ref erence marked thereon,forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to means for developing photographic films ofdifferent kinds, sizes, lengths and. styles, the object being to providea device for supporting the films in the developing liquid in such amanner that they can be thoroughly and effectively treated andthereafter dried without coming into contact with each other, so thatthey are thus developed and dried in a much more perfect state than hasheretofore been possible with the other forms of developing devices nowin common use.

The invention, therefore, consists essentially in a central support, andadjustable means mounted upon said support to which the films areattached, and in adjusting the means to films of different lengths, andit consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination ofparts hereinafter set forth, with reference to the accompanying drawingsand subsequently claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1represents a front elevation of my improved device. Fig. 2 represents asectional plan view of Fig. 1 taken on lines 0000 of Fig. 1, and lookingin the direction indicated by the arrows; and Figs. 3 and 4 representside and plan views of a modified form of my improved device.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughoutall the different figures of the drawings.

1 represents a central rod or support provided with a key 2, preferablyextending the entire length of the rod, upon which are mounted theadjustable wheels 3 provided with film holding pins 4 and clamps 5. TheWheels 3 which may be of any convenient form and made from any suitablematerial,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 9, 1913.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

Serial No. 772,467.

are provided with key ways 3 which engage with the key 2 to prevent thesame from turning and are further provided with set screws 7 or similarfastening means in order that said wheels 3 may be adjusted and securedto the rod 1, closer to or farther away from each other, the object ofso adjusting the wheels being to accommodate films of different lengthsbetween them. The rod 1 is furnished at one end thereof with a suitablehanger S or other similar means, by means of which the device can besuspended when it is not in the tank and when it is desired to dry thefilms. In order to enable the wheels to hold as many films as possible,I provide the peripheries thereof with a :'-:c ries of film holding pins4: and clamps 5. I also employ a series of pairs of wheels of differentsizes, whereby I am enabled to support films of different sizes andlengths without coming in contact with the films mounted upon the otherpair of wheels, so that all of them will be held in a proper position tobe effectively acted upon by the chemicals in which they are submergedand the air for drying the same.

9 represents, in dotted lines, two films of different lengths andwidths, which are mounted upon wheels of difierent dimensions, and heldin position by the holding means secured to the peripheries of thewheels. One form of holding means which I have illustrated in thedrawings, merely by ways of example, consists of a series of taperedpins 4 located on the periphery of the wheels 3, to which the films 9are secured, and thereafter held against accidental displacement bymeans of the clamping plates 5, which are provided with suitable splitbushings 10 designed to engage with the pins 4.

The periphery of the wheel 3 as well as the underside of the clampingplate 5 are correspondingly cut away to form passages 18 to permit theliquid which may drip from the films to pass through the same.

In the drawings, I have shown the wheels provided with twelve sets ofholding pins and twelve sets of clamps. It will of course be understoodthat the number of sets of holding pins and holding clamps may beincreased or decreased as will be found most convenient.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, I haveshown a clamping plate 11 of peculiar construction, the same beingprovided with an extension 12, said extension 12 being so constructed asto provide two supports 13 and let over which a film of considerablelength may be stretched, as indicated in Fig. t of the drawings, one end15 of which is secured to the clamping plate 5 by means of anintermediate clamping plate 16, and the other end oi"? which is securedto the clamping plate 16 by an additional clamping plate 17.

In practice, I employ a number of these devices for dei eloping anddrying the films. After the device, with the films secured thereto hasbeen passed through the developing solution, they are removed andsuspended from a suitable support, and subjected to strong air currentsdirected from an elec tric tan or the like, for drying the films. Itwill thus be seen that the films can be thoroughly and effectivelytreated and there after dried without coming into contact *ith eachother, so that they are developed and dried in a. much more perfect andrapid manner than has heretofore been possible with other forms 4Experience has demonstrated that the organization above described is ahighly eflicient one, and while the device described is the preferredembodiment of my present invention, I do not. care to restrict myself tothe exact details of construction, combination and arrangement hereinset forth, it being obvious that minor variations thereojl' notinvolving the exercise of invention may be made by any skilled mechanic,and such departure from what is herein described and claimed notinvolving invention, 1 consider within the scope and terms of my claims.

I claim:

1. A photographic film developing and drying device, the same comprisinga Central support, a pair of film holding elements relatively adjustablealong said support and means on the peripheries of said elements forclamping photographic films extended between said pair of elements.

2. photographic film developing and drying device, the same comprising acentral support, film holders comprising pairs of supports of ditl'erentdimensions adjustably secured to said central support, both supports ofa pair of supports of lesser dimensions being located between thesupports of a pair of supports olf greater dimensions, said supportsbeing provided with means tor holding a series of photographic films between the peripheries of said supports.

3. A photographic film developing and drying device, the same comprisinga central support, film holders of dillerent dimen sions adjustablysecured to said central support, the circumferential edges of said.holders being provided with a plurality of of fihn securing means, and aplin'ality of clamping plates provided with split bushings designed tohave holding engagement with said film securing means.

This specification signed and witnessed this 22nd day of May, 1913.

CONRAD H. KNOBLAUCH.

Witnesses l-lueo B. ilrrrnn, J12, Fiuinn. C. Fisoimn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Paternal.

Washington, D. C.

